The West Germanic languages include the three most widely spoken Germanic languages:English with around 360–400 million native speakers, Germanwith over 100 million native speakers and Dutchwith 23 million native speakers.

Other major West Germanic languages are Afrikaans, an offshoot of Dutch; Low German; Yiddish and Limburgish.

All Germanic languages are thought to be descended from a hypothetical Proto-Germanic language. These probably took place during the Pre-Roman Iron Age of Northern Europe from c. 500 BC. Proto-Germanic itself was likely spoken after c. 500 BC.

The Germanic languages is closely connected with the development of Western civilization.